Military Critical and Creative Thinking 2 Parts

L104 Reading A 1

SERGEANTS MAJOR ACADEMY

Sergeants Major Course (SMC)

L100: Foundational Leadership Concepts

Lesson Plan for L104

Creative Thinking, Logic and Decision Making

L104 Reading A

“Introduction to Creative Thinking”

Robert Harris

Much of the thinking done in formal education emphasizes the skills of analysis—teaching

students how to understand claims, follow or create a logical argument, figure out the answer,

eliminate the incorrect paths and focus on the correct one. However, there is another kind of thinking,

one that focuses on exploring ideas, generating possibilities, looking for many right answers rather

than just one. Both of these kinds of thinking are vital to a successful working life, yet the latter one

tends to be ignored until after college. We might differentiate these two kinds of thinking like this:

Critical Thinking Creative Thinking

analytic generative

convergent divergent

vertical lateral

probability possibility

judgment suspended judgment

focused diffuse

objective subjective

answer an answer

left brain right brain

verbal visual

linear associative

reasoning richness, novelty

yes but yes and

*Online: www.virtualsalt.com/crebook1.htm. Copyright © 2000 by Robert Harris. Reproduced at the

SMC by special permission and may not be further reproduced in whole or in part without the express

permission of the copyright holder.

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In an activity like problem solving, both kinds of thinking are important to us. First, we must analyze

the problem; then we must generate possible solutions; next we must choose and implement the best

solution; and finally, we must evaluate the effectiveness of the solution. As you can see, this process

reveals an alternation between the two kinds of thinking, critical and creative. In practice, both kinds of

thinking operate together much of the time and are not really independent of each other.

What is Creativity?

An Ability. A simple definition is that creativity is the ability to imagine or invent something new.

As we will see below, creativity is not the ability to create out of nothing (only God can do that), but the

ability to generate new ideas by combining, changing, or reapplying existing ideas. Some creative ideas

are astonishing and brilliant, while others are just simple, good, practical ideas that no one seems to have

thought of yet.

Believe it or not, everyone has substantial creative ability. Just look at how creative children are. In

adults, creativity has too often been suppressed through education, but it is still there and can be

reawakened. Often all that’s needed to be creative is to make a commitment to creativity and to take the

time for it.

An Attitude. Creativity is also an attitude: the ability to accept change and newness, a willingness to

play with ideas and possibilities, a flexibility of outlook, the habit of enjoying the good, while looking for

ways to improve it. We are socialized into accepting only a small number of permitted or normal things,

like chocolate-covered strawberries, for example. The creative person realizes that there are other

possibilities, like peanut butter and banana sandwiches, or chocolate-covered prunes.

A Process. Creative people work hard and continually to improve ideas and solutions, by making

gradual alterations and refinements to their works. Contrary to the mythology surrounding creativity,

very, very few works of creative excellence are produced with a single stroke of brilliance or in a frenzy

of rapid activity. Much closer to the real truth are the stories of companies who had to take the invention

away from the inventor in order to market it because the inventor would have kept on tweaking it and

fiddling with it, always trying to make it a little better.

The creative person knows that there is always room for improvement.

Creative Methods

Several methods have been identified for producing creative results. Here are the five classic ones:

Evolution. This is the method of incremental improvement. New ideas stem from other ideas, new

solutions from previous ones, the new ones slightly improved over the old ones. Many of the very

sophisticated things we enjoy today developed through a long period of constant incrimination. Making

something a little better here, a little better there gradually makes it something a lot better—even entirely

different from the original.

For example, look at the history of the automobile or any product of technological progress. With

each new model, improvements are made. Each new model builds upon the collective creativity of

previous models, so that over time, improvements in economy, comfort, and durability take place. Here

the creativity lies in the refinement, the step-by-step improvement, rather than in something completely

new. Another example would be the improvement of the common wood screw by what are now commonly

called drywall screws. They have sharper threads, which are angled more steeply for faster penetration

and better holding. The points are self-tapping. The shanks are now threaded all the way up on lengths up

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to two inches. The screws are so much better that they can often be driven in without pilot holes, using a

power drill.

The evolutionary method of creativity also reminds us of that critical principle: Every problem that

has been solved can be solved again in a better way. Creative thinkers do not subscribe to the idea that

once a problem has been solved, it can be forgotten, or to the notion that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” A

creative thinker’s philosophy is that “there is no such thing as an insignificant improvement.”

Synthesis. With this method, two or more existing ideas are combined into a third, new idea. Combining the ideas of a magazine and an audio tape gives the idea of a magazine you can listen to, one

useful for blind people or freeway commuters.

For example, someone noticed that a lot of people on dates went first to dinner and then to the

theater. Why not combine these two events into one? Thus, the dinner theater, where people go first to eat

and then to see a play or other entertainment.

Revolution. Sometimes the best new idea is a completely different one, a marked change from the

previous ones. While an evolutionary improvement philosophy might cause a professor to ask, “How can

I make my lectures better and better?” a revolutionary idea might be, “Why not stop lecturing and have

the students teach each other, working as teams or presenting reports?”

For example, the evolutionary technology in fighting termites eating away at houses has been to

develop safer and faster pesticides and gasses to kill them. A somewhat revolutionary change has been to

abandon gasses altogether in favor of liquid nitrogen, which freezes them to death or microwaves, which

bake them. A truly revolutionary creative idea would be to ask, “How can we prevent them from eating

houses in the first place?” A new termite bait that is placed in the ground in a perimeter around a house

provides one answer to this question.

Reapplication. Look at something old in a new way. Go beyond labels. Unfixate, remove prejudices,

expectations and assumptions and discover how something can be reapplied. One creative person might

go to the junkyard and see art in an old model T transmission. He paints it up and puts it in his living

room. Another creative person might see in the same transmission the necessary gears for a multi-speed

hot walker for his horse. He hooks it to some poles and a motor and puts it in his corral. The key is to see

beyond the previous or stated applications for some idea, solution, or thing and to see what other

application is possible.

For example, a paperclip can be used as a tiny screwdriver if filed down; paint can be used as a kind

of glue to prevent screws from loosening in machinery; dishwashing detergents can be used to remove the

DNA from bacteria in a lab; general purpose spray cleaners can be used to kill ants.

Changing Direction. Many creative breakthroughs occur when attention is shifted from one angle of

a problem to another. This is sometimes called creative insight.

A classic example is that of the highway department trying to keep kids from skateboarding in a

concrete-lined drainage ditch. The highway department put up a fence to keep the kids out; the kids

went around it. The department then put up a longer fence; the kids cut a hole in it. The department

then put up a stronger fence; it, too, was cut. The department then put a threatening sign on the

fence; it was ignored. Finally, someone decided to change direction, and asked, “What really is the

problem here? It’s not that the kids keep getting through the barrier, but that they want to skateboard

in the ditch. So how can we keep them from skateboarding in the ditch?” The solution was to remove

their desire by pouring some concrete in the bottom of the ditch to remove the smooth curve.

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The sharp angle created by the concrete made skateboarding impossible and the activity stopped. No

more skateboarding problems, no more fence problems.

This example reveals a critical truth in problem solving: the goal is to solve the problem, not to

implement a particular solution. When one solution path is not working, shift to another. There is no

commitment to a particular path, only to a particular goal. Path fixation can sometimes be a problem for

those who do not understand this; they become overcommitted to a path that does not work and only

frustration results.

Negative Attitudes That Block Creativity

1. Oh no, a problem! The reaction to a problem is often a bigger problem than the problem itself. Many people avoid or deny problems until it’s too late, largely because these people have never learned

the appropriate emotional, psychological, and practical responses. A problem is an opportunity. The

happiest people welcome and even seek out problems, meeting them as challenges and opportunities to

improve things. Definition: a problem is (1) seeing the difference between what you have and what you

want or (2) recognizing or believing that there is something better than the current situation or (3) an

opportunity for a positive act. Seeking problems aggressively will build confidence, increase happiness,

and give you a better sense of control over your life.

2. It can’t be done. This attitude is, in effect, surrendering before the battle. By assuming that something cannot be done or a problem cannot be solved, a person gives the problem a power or strength

it didn’t have before. And giving up before starting is, of course, self fulfilling. But look at the history of

solutions and the accompanying skeptics: man will never fly, diseases will never be conquered, rockets

will never leave the atmosphere. Again, the appropriate attitude is summed up by the statement, “The

difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer.”

3. I can’t do it. Or There’s nothing I can do. Some people think, well maybe the problem can be solved by some expert, but not by me because I’m not (a) smart enough, (b) an engineer, or (c) a blank

(whether educated, expert, etc.). Again, though, look at the history of problem solving.

Who were the Wright brothers that they could invent an airplane? Aviation engineers? No, they were

bicycle mechanics. The ball point pen was invented by a printer’s proofreader, Ladislao Biro, not a

mechanical engineer. Major advances in submarine design were made by English clergyman G. W.

Garrett and by Irish schoolmaster John P. Holland. The cotton gin was invented by that well known

attorney and tutor, Eli Whitney. The fire extinguisher was invented by a captain of militia, George

Manby.

And so on. In fact, a major point made by recent writers about corporate excellence is that

innovations in industry almost always come from individuals (not research groups) outside of the area of

the invention. General Motors invented Freon, the refrigeration chemical, and tetraethyl lead, the gasoline

additive. Kodachrome was invented by two musicians. The continuous steel casting process was invented

by a watchmaker (fooling around with brass casting). Soap making chemists turned down the problem of

inventing synthetic detergents: those detergents were invented by dye making chemists.

In a nutshell, a good mind with a positive attitude and some good problem solving skills will go far in

solving any problem. Interest in and commitment to the problem are the keys. Motivation—a willingness

to expend the effort—is more important than laboratory apparatus. And remember that you can always do

something. Even if you cannot totally eradicate the problem from the face of the earth, you can always do

something to make the situation better.

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4. But I’m not creative. Everyone is creative to some extent. Most people are capable of very high levels of creativity; just look at young children when they play and imagine. The problem is that this

creativity has been suppressed by education. All you need to do is let it come back to the surface. You

will soon discover that you are surprisingly creative.

5. That’s childish. In our effort to appear always mature and sophisticated, we often ridicule the creative, playful attitudes that marked our younger years. But if you solve a problem that saves your

marriage or gets you promoted or keeps your friend from suicide, do you care whether other people

describe your route to the solution as “childish?” Besides, isn’t play a lot of fun? Remember that

sometimes people laugh when something is actually funny, but often they laugh when they lack the

imagination to understand the situation.

6. What will people think? There is strong social pressure to conform and to be ordinary and not creative.

Here are some overheard examples:

Creative Person: “I like to put water in my orange juice so it’s less sweet.”

Ordinary Person: “You’re weird, you know?”

Ordinary Person: “What are you doing?”

Creative Person: “We’re painting our mailbox.”

Ordinary Person: “You’re crazy.”

Creative Person: “Why don’t we add a little garlic?”

Ordinary Person: “Because the recipe doesn’t call for garlic.”

Ordinary Person: “Why are you going this way? It’s longer.”

Creative Person: “Because I like the drive.”

Ordinary Person: “Did anyone ever tell you you’re strange?”

The constant emphasis we see in society is toward the ruthlessly practical and conformist. Even the

wild fashions, from those in Vogue to punk rock, are narrowly defined, and to deviate from them is

considered wrong or ridiculous. Some peoples’ herd instinct is so strong that they make sheep look like

radical individualists.

So, what will people think? Well, they’re already talking about you, saying that your nose is too big

or your shoes are funny or you date weird people. So, since others are going to talk about you in

unflattering ways anyway, you might as well relax and let your creativity and individualism flow.

Almost every famous contributor to the betterment of civilization was ridiculed and sometimes even

jailed. Think about Galileo. And look what happened to Jesus. Quotation: “Progress is made only by

those who are strong enough to endure being laughed at.” Solutions are often new ideas, and new ideas,

being strange, are usually greeted with laughter, contempt, or both. That’s just a fact of life, so make up

your mind not to let it bother you. Ridicule should be viewed as a badge of real innovative thinking.

7. I might fail. Thomas Edison, in his search for the perfect filament for the incandescent lamp, tried anything he could think of, including whiskers from a friend’s beard. In all, he tried about 1800 things.

After about 1000 attempts, someone asked him if he was frustrated at his lack of success. He said

something like, “I’ve gained a lot of knowledge—I now know a thousand things that won’t work.”

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Fear of failure is one of the major obstacles to creativity and problem solving. The cure is to change

your attitude about failure. Failures along the way should be expected and accepted; they are simply

learning tools that help focus the way toward success. Not only is there nothing wrong with failing, but

failing is a sign of action and struggle and attempt—much better than inaction. The go-with-the-flow

types may never fail, but they are essentially useless to humanity, nor can they ever enjoy the feeling of

accomplishment that comes after a long struggle.

Suppose you let your fear of failure guide your risk taking and your attempts. You try only three

things in a year because you are sure of succeeding. At the end of the year the score is: Successes 3,

Failures 0. Now suppose the next year you don’t worry about failing, so you try a hundred things. You

fail at 70 of them. At the end of the year the score is Successes 30, Failures 70. Which would you rather

have—three successes or 30—ten times as many? And imagine what 70 failures will have taught you.

Proverb: Mistakes aren’t fun, but they sure are educational.

Myths about Creative Thinking and Problem Solving

1. Every problem has only one solution (or one right answer). The goal of problem solving is to solve the problem, and most problems can be solved in any number of ways. If you discover a solution

that works, it is a good solution. There may be other solutions thought of by other people, but that doesn’t

make your solution wrong. What is THE solution to putting words on paper? Fountain pen, ball point,

pencil, marker, typewriter, printer, Xerox machine, printing press?

2. The best answer/solution/method has already been found. Look at the history of any solution set and you’ll see that improvements, new solutions, new right answers, are always being found. What is

the solution to human transportation? The ox or horse, the cart, the wagon, the train, the car, the airplane,

the jet, the SST? Is that the best and last? What about pneumatic tubes, hovercraft, even Star Trek type

beams?

What is the best way to put words on paper? The word processor? Is that the last invention? How

about voice recognition, or thought wave input?

On a more everyday level, many solutions now seen as best or at least entrenched were put in place

hastily and without much thought—such as the use of drivers’ licenses for ID cards or social security

numbers for taxpayer ID numbers. Other solutions are entrenched simply for historical reasons: they’ve

always been done that way. Why do shoe laces still exist, when technology has produced several other,

better ways to attach shoes to feet (like velcro, elastic, snap buttons, and so on)?

3. Creative answers are complex technologically. Only a few problems require complex technological solutions. Most problems you’ll meet with require only a thoughtful solution requiring

personal action and perhaps a few simple tools. Even many problems that seem to require a technological

solution can be addressed in other ways.

For example, what is the solution to the large percentage of packages ruined by the Post Office?

Look at the Post Office package handling method. Packages are tossed in bins when you send them. For

the solution, look at United Parcel. When you send a package, it is put on a shelf. The change from bin to

shelf is not a complex or technological solution; it’s just a good idea, using commonly available

materials.

As another example, when hot dogs were first invented, they were served to customers with gloves to

hold them. Unfortunately, the customers kept walking off with the gloves. The solution was not at all

complex: serve the hot dog on a roll so that the customer’s fingers were still insulated from the heat.

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The roll could be eaten along with the dog. No more worries about disappearing gloves. (Note by the way

what a good example of changing direction this is. Instead of asking, “How can I keep the gloves from

being taken?” the hot dog server stopped thinking about gloves altogether.)

4. Ideas either come or they don’t. Nothing will help. There are many successful techniques for stimulating idea generation. We will be discussing and applying them.

Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking and Problem Solving

1. Prejudice. The older we get, the more preconceived ideas we have about things. These preconceptions often prevent us from seeing beyond what we already know or believe to be possible.

They inhibit us from accepting change and progress.

Example problem: How to connect sections of airplanes with more ease and strength than using

rivets. A modern solution is to use glue—glue the sections together. We probably wouldn’t think of this

solution because of our prejudice about the word and idea of glue. But there are many kinds of glue, and

the kind used to stick plane parts together makes a bond stronger than the metal of the parts themselves.

Another problem: How can we make lighter weight bullet proof windows? Thicker glass is too heavy.

Answer: Use plastic. Again, we are prejudiced against plastic. But some plastics are not flimsy at all and

are used in place of steel and in bullet proof windows.

Another problem: Make a ship’s hull that won’t rust or rot like steel or wood. Solution: Use concrete.

Our prejudice is that concrete is too heavy. Why not make lightweight concrete? That’s what’s done.

Final example: How to divide a piece of cake equally between two kids so they won’t complain that

one kid is preferred over the other: “You gave him the bigger piece; you like him better! Waaaah!”

Solution: Put the kids in charge of dividing the cake. Our prejudice is that immature, selfish kids can’t do

the job. But the solution, one cuts the cake, the other has first choice of pieces, works very well.

2. Functional fixation. Sometimes we begin to see an object only in terms of its name rather in terms of what it can do. Thus, we see a mop only as a device for cleaning a floor, and do not think that it might

be useful for clearing cobwebs from the ceiling, washing the car, doing aerobic exercise, propping a door

open or closed, and so on.

There is also a functional fixation of businesses. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

the railroads saw themselves as railroads. When automobiles and later airplanes began to come in, the

railroads didn’t adapt. “That’s not our business,” they said. But if they had seen themselves as in the

people transportation business rather than in the railroad business, they could have capitalized on a great

opportunity.

Similarly, when the telephone began its rise, some of the telegraph companies said, “That’s not our

business; we’re telegraph companies.” But if they had said, “Hey, we’re in the communication

business, and here’s a new way to communicate,” they would have grown rather than died. Compare

Western Union to AT&T. And have you heard of those big calculator companies Dietzgen or Pickett?

No? Well, they were among the biggest makers of slide rules. But when electronic calculators began

to rise, they didn’t know what business they were in. They thought they were in the slide rule

business, when they were really in the calculator business. They didn’t adapt, they didn’t accept the

challenge of change and opportunity, and they fell.

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And there’s a functional fixation of people, too. Think a minute how you react when you see your

pastor mowing his lawn, or your auto mechanic on a television show promoting a book. Stereotyping can

even be a form of functional fixation—how many people would laugh at a blonde quoting Aristotle? Too

often we permit only a narrow range of attitudes and behaviors in other people, based on bias, prejudice,

hasty generalization, or limited past experience. Think of those statements like, “I can’t believe he said

that,” or “Imagine her doing that,” and so on. But recall the proverb, “The goal of my life is not to live

down to your expectations.”

3. Learned helplessness. This is the feeling that you don’t have the tools, knowledge, materials, ability, to do anything, so you might as well not try. We are trained to rely on other people for almost

everything. We think small and limit ourselves. But the world can be interacted with.

If you are in need of information, there are libraries, bookstores, friends, professors, and, of course,

the Internet. And there are also city, county, and state government agencies with addresses and phone

numbers and web sites. There are thousands of government agencies that really exist and that will talk to

you. Contact the EPA if you’re working on air pollution or pesticides. Get some government publications.

Call your state senator or federal congressman for help on bills, information, problems. Contact the

manufacturer of a product to find out what you want to know about it.

If you are technologically poor, you can learn. Learn how to cook, use tools, make clothes, use a

computer. You can learn to do anything you really want to do. All you need is the motivation and

commitment. You can learn to fly an airplane, drive a truck, scuba dive, fix a car—name it.

4. Psychological blocks. Some solutions are not considered or are rejected simply because our reaction to them is “Yuck.” But icky solutions themselves may be useful or good if they solve a problem

well or save your life. Eating lizards and grasshoppers doesn’t sound great, but if it keeps you alive in the

wilderness, it’s a good solution.

Perhaps more importantly, what at first seem to be icky ideas may lead to better solutions—de-

ickified analogues of the original. When doctors noted that some unsophisticated natives were using giant

ant heads to suture wounds, they imitated this pincer-closing technique by inventing the surgical staple.

Psychological blocks prevent you from doing something just because it doesn’t sound good or right,

which is a pretty ridiculous thing. Overcoming such blocks can be really beneficial. Navy commandos in

Vietnam overcame their blocks and put on women’s panty hose when they marched through the swamps

and jungle. The pantyhose cut down on the friction and rubbing from the plants and aided in removing the

dozens of leeches after a mission. Overcoming the block to using your own blood to write a help note

could save your life someday if you got kidnapped.

Positive Attitudes for Creativity

1. Curiosity. Creative people want to know things—all kinds of things—just to know them. Knowledge does not require a reason. The question, “Why do you want to know that?” seems strange to

the creative person, who is likely to respond, “Because I don’t know the answer.” Knowledge is enjoyable

and often useful in strange and unexpected ways.

For example, I was once attempting to repair something, without apparent success, when an onlooker

asked testily, “Do you know what you’re doing?” I replied calmly, “No, that’s why I’m doing it.”

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Next, knowledge, and especially wide ranging knowledge, is necessary for creativity to flourish to its

fullest. Much creativity arises from variations of a known or combinations of two knowns. The best ideas

flow from a well-equipped mind. Nothing can come from nothing.

In addition to knowing, creative people want to know why. What are the reasons behind decisions,

problems, solutions, events, facts, and so forth? Why this way and not another? And why not try this or

that?

The curious person’s questioning attitude toward life is a positive one, not a destructive one reflecting

skepticism or negativism. It often seems threatening because too often there is no good reason behind

many of the things that are taken for granted—there is no “why” behind the status quo.

So ask questions of everyone. Ask the same question of different people just to be able to compare the

answers. Look into areas of knowledge you’ve never before explored, whether cloth dying, weather

forecasting, food additives, ship building, the U.S. budget, or the toxicity of laundry detergents.

2. Challenge. Curious people like to identify and challenge the assumptions behind ideas, proposals, problems, beliefs, and statements. Many assumptions, of course, turn out to be quite necessary and solid,

but many others have been assumed unnecessarily, and in breaking out of those assumptions often comes

a new idea, a new path, a new solution.

For example, when we think of a college, we traditionally think of a physical campus with

classrooms, a library, and some nice trees. But why must college be a place (with congregated students

and faculty) at all? Thus, the electronic college now exists, where students “go” to college right at home,

online. Correspondence courses have existed for years, too, beginning with the challenging of the school-

as-centralized-place idea.

When we think of an electric motor, we automatically think of a rotating shaft machine. But why

assume that? Why can’t an electric motor have a linear output, moving in a straight line rather than a

circle? With such a challenged assumption came the linear motor, able to power trains, elevators, slide

locks, and so on.

Problem: We make brandy, and for this special edition of our finest kind, we want a fully-grown pear

in one piece inside each bottle. The bottle is narrow necked. How can we do it? As you think, watch for

the assumptions you are making. Possible solutions (assuming fully grown pear): close the neck or

bottom after insertion, use a plastic bottle like heat-shrink tubing, change to a wide mouth bottle. If we do

not assume a fully grown pear: grow the pear from a bud inside the bottle.

3. Constructive discontent. This is not a whining, griping kind of discontent, but the ability to see a need for improvement and to propose a method of making that improvement. Constructive discontent is a

positive, enthusiastic discontent, reflecting the thought, “Hey, I know a way to make that better.”

Constructive discontent is necessary for a creative problem solver, for if you are happy with

everything the way it is, you won’t want to change anything. Only when you become discontent with

something, when you see a problem, will you want to solve the problem and improve the situation.

One of the hallmarks of the constructively discontented person is that of a problem seeking outlook. The more problems you find, the more solutions and therefore improvements you can make. Even

previously solved problems can often be solved again, in a better way. A constructively discontent person

might think, “This is an excellent solution, but I wonder if there isn’t another solution that works even

better (or costs less, etc).”

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Another mark of constructive discontent is the enjoyment of challenge. Creative people are eager to

test their own limits and the limits of problems, willing to work hard, to persevere and not give up easily.

Sometimes the discontent is almost artificial—they aren’t really unhappy with the status quo of some

area, but they want to find something better just for the challenge of it and the opportunity to improve

their own lives and those of others.

4. A belief that most problems can be solved. By faith at first and by experience later on, the creative thinker believes that something can always be done to eliminate or help alleviate almost every

problem. Problems are solved by a commitment of time and energy, and where this commitment is

present, few things are impossible.

The belief in the solvability of problems is especially useful early on in attacking any problem,

because many problems at first seem utterly impossible and scare off the fainter hearted. Those who take

on the problem with confidence will be the ones most likely to think through or around the impossibility

of the problem.

5. The ability to suspend judgment and criticism. Many new ideas, because they are new and unfamiliar, seem strange, odd, bizarre, even repulsive. Only later do they become “obviously” great.

Other ideas, in their original incarnations, are indeed weird, but they lead to practical, beautiful, elegant

things. Thus, it is important for the creative thinker to be able to suspend judgment when new ideas are

arriving, to have an optimistic attitude toward ideas in general, and to avoid condemning them with the

typical kinds of negative responses like, “That will never work; that’s no good; what an idiotic idea; that’s

impossible,” and so forth. Hospital sterilization and antiseptic procedures, television, radio, the Xerox

machine, and stainless steel all met with ho-hums and even hostile rejection before their persevering

inventors finally sold someone on the ideas.

Some of our everyday tools that we now love and use daily, were opposed when they were originally

presented: Aluminum cookware? No one wants that. Teflon pans? They’ll never sell. Erasers on pencils?

That would only encourage carelessness. Computers? There’s no market for more than a few, so why

build them?

Remember then that (1) an idea may begin to look good only after it becomes a bit more familiar or is

seen in a slightly different context or clothing or circumstance and (2) even a very wild idea can serve as a

stepping stone to a practical, efficient idea. But too quickly bringing your judgment into play, these

fragile early ideas and their source can be destroyed. The first rule of brainstorming is to suspend

judgment so that your idea-generating powers will be free to create without the restraint of fear or

criticism. You can always go back later and examine—as critically as you want—what you have thought

of.

Proverb: “A crank is a genius whose idea hasn’t yet caught on.”

6. Seeing the good in the bad. Creative thinkers, when faced with poor solutions, don’t cast them away. Instead, they ask, “What’s good about it?” because there may be something useful even in the

worst ideas. And however little that good may be, it might be turned to good effect or made greater.

Example problem: How can we get college students to learn grammar better? Solution: Spank their

bottoms with a hickory stick. This isn’t a good solution, partly because it’s probably illegal. But should

we just toss it out? Why not ask what’s good about it? (1) it gives individual attention to the poor

performers, (2) it gives them public attention, (3) it motivates other students as well as the student being

spanked, (4) it’s easy and costs nothing. The next question is, Can we adapt or incorporate some of these

good things into a more acceptable solution, whether derivative of the original or not?

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We easily fall into either/or thinking and believe that a bad solution is bad through and through, in

every aspect, when in fact, it may have some good parts we can borrow and use on a good solution, or it

may do inappropriately something that’s worth doing appropriately. And often, the bad solution has just

one really glaring bad part, that when remedied, leaves quite a good solution. In the above example,

changing the physical spanking to a verbal spanking changes the entire aspect of the solution while

keeping all the good points we identified.

7. Problems lead to improvements. The attitude of constructive discontent searches for problems and possible areas of improvement, but many times problems arrive on their own. But such unexpected

and perhaps unwanted problems are not necessarily bad, because they often permit solutions that leave the

world better than before the problem arose.

For example, the first margarine was made from beef fat, milk, water, and chopped cow udder. It

wasn’t extremely tasty or healthy. Then about the turn of the century a shortage of beef fat created a

problem. What to use? The margarine makers turned to vegetable fats from various plants and the

soybean, corn, and sunflower oils they used are still used today. The margarine is healthier and tastes

better.

Or think about exams or papers. When you don’t do as well as you want, you think, “Oh no!” But

actually, you have a good insight into what you don’t know and still need to learn. You are aware of the

geography of your knowledge in a much more detailed form than before the errors showed up.

8. A problem can also be a solution. A fact that one person describes as a problem can sometimes be a solution for someone else. Above we noted that creative thinkers can find good ideas in bad

solutions. Creative thinkers also look at problems and ask, “Is there something good about this problem?”

For example, soon after the advent of cyanoacrylate adhesives (super glue), it was noted that if you

weren’t careful, you could glue your fingers together with it. This problem—a permanent skin bond—was

soon seen as a solution, also. Surgeons in Viet Nam began to use super glue to glue wounds together.

Another example, also involving glue: 3M chemists were experimenting with adhesives and

accidentally came up with one that was so weak you could peel it right back off. Hold strength, shear

strength, all were way below the minimum standards for any self-respecting adhesive. A glue that won’t

hold? Quite a problem. But this problem was also a solution, as you now see in Post-It Notes.

9. Problems are interesting and emotionally acceptable. Many people confront every problem with a shudder and a turn of the head. They don’t even want to admit that a problem exists—with their car,

their spouse, their child, their job, their house, whatever. As a result, often the problem persists and drives

them crazy or rises to a crisis and drives them crazy.

Creative people see problems as interesting challenges worth tackling. Problems are not fearful beasts

to be feared or loathed; they are worthy opponents to be jousted with and unhorsed. Problem solving is

fun, educational, rewarding, ego building, helpful to society.

Miscellaneous Good Attitudes

1. Perseverance. Most people fail because they spend only nine minutes on a problem that requires ten minutes to solve. Creativity and problem solving are hard work and require fierce application of time

and energy. There is no quick and easy secret. You need knowledge gained by study and research and you

must put your knowledge to work by hard thinking and protracted experimentation. You’ve surely read of

the difficulties and setbacks faced by most of the famous inventors—how many filaments Edison tried

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before he found a working one, how many aircraft designs failed in the attempt to break the sound barrier.

But planning to persevere is planning to succeed.

2. A flexible imagination. Creative people are comfortable with imagination and with thinking so- called weird, wild, or unthinkable thoughts, just for the sake of stimulation. During brainstorming or just

mental playfulness, all kinds of strange thoughts and ideas can be entertained. And the mind, pragmatist

that it is, will probably find something useful in it all. We will look at several examples of this later on.

3. A belief that mistakes are welcome. Modern society has for some reason conceived the idea that the only unforgivable thing is to fail or make a mistake. Actually failure is an opportunity; mistakes show

that something is being done. So creative people have come to realize and accept emotionally that making

mistakes is no negative biggie. One chief executive of a big American corporation warns all his newly

hired managers, “Make sure you make a reasonable number of mistakes.” Mistakes are educational and

can lead to success—because they mean you are doing something.

Sir Francis Pettit Smith, one of the early developers of the screw propeller, tried one design in 1836.

During the test, half of it broke off—what a failure—but then the boat increased in speed substantially,

revealing the efficiency of a new design, formed from a mistake.

In sum, as Vergil once said, “They can who think they can.” Having the proper positive attitude about

generating new and useful ideas and solving problems is really a large part of the whole process.

A few years ago, the pipes in my mom’s house had finally rusted through and I was faced with the

task of finding a plumber to get a bid. Knowing how much they charge for small repairs, I knew that

doing a whole house would cost a fortune. I thought, “You know, I’d really like to do this job myself, but I

wonder if I can.” My neighbor happened to be around once when I said this, and he said, “Oh, you can

do it.” Just that simple expression gave me the positive attitude I needed to do it. So I did.

Characteristics of the Creative Person

 curious

 seeks problems

 enjoys challenge

 optimistic

 able to suspend judgment

 comfortable with imagination

 sees problems as opportunities

 sees problems as interesting

 problems are emotionally acceptable

 challenges assumptions

 doesn’t give up easily: perseveres, works hard

Robert Harris is a writer and educator with more than 25 years of teaching experience at the

college and university level. [email protected].

Reading Time: 6784 words @ 230 wpm = 29 minutes

Flesch Reading Ease: 59.4

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 8.5